The city of Mariupol in Donbass is turning into a concentration camp, blocked by Ukrainian soldiers and paramilitary groups, the Russian press reads, quoting representatives of the separatist militias of Donetsk and Luhansk. In reality, the humanitarian corridors are blocked by Russian soldiers who are firing at critical infrastructure.
NARRATIVE: The “Azov” and “Pravyi sector” (banned in Russia) battalions do not allow civilians to enter the humanitarian corridor and no civilian has managed to leave the country, the deputy chief of the People’s Militia of the People’s Republic of Donetsk, Eduard Basurin, said live on “Russia -24”. “The humanitarian corridor that we’ve opened for civilians has been blocked by “Azov” and those from the right wing sector […]. There are more than 60 people, half of them women and children”, he said. Basurin also said that no inhabitant managed to use the humanitarian corridor, as the school was mined by Ukrainians.
WHY THE NARRATIVE IS FALSE: The Russian media lies in its reports on the separatist leaders’ “concern” for the cities in Donbass. In reality, Moscow’s military invasion was from the very beginning justified by the need to free Ukraine from Nazis and extremists. The “Azov” and “Pravyi sector” battalions, who are taking part in the defense of Mariupol, have been the target of media attacks for more than eight years now. These two paramilitary groups are defending the cities in Donbass together with the Ukrainian defense forces. Currently, the names of these battalions are mentioned only to justify the presence of Russian soldiers on Ukrainian soil.
In reality, it’s been the Russian soldieries who have pushed Mariupol to the brink of a humanitarian disaster. The Russian army opened fire on civilian infrastructure, schools, kindergartens, hospitals, etc. On March 2nd, Russian soldiers destroyed a maternity unit in Mariupol. Much of the city was left without electricity because of Russia’s actions. According to communiques released by the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the municipality of Mariupol, the Russian soldiers are those who are blocking the access of foodstuffs into the city, turning it into a besieged city.
Moreover, the Ukrainian side was the one that addressed the issue of humanitarian corridors, during the second round of negotiations in Belarus. The Kiev delegation spoke of a draft agreement on the organization of “humanitarian corridors” to help evacuate civilians from the combat areas. The two parties have also agreed on the delivery of food and medicine to the sectors faced with the heaviest fighting. The Ukrainian authorities hope that these corridors will really exist and will not be turned into “traps” and used to kill civilians and destabilize the situation in the area.
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